A new flag found in the Chrome OS Canary channel build (based on Chrome 70), points to a Mac-like centering of apps you have pinned to the Shelf in the platform. The new flag was discovered by the team over at Chrome Story and the flag is named “Newest shelf design”.
As Chrome OS users know, today the Shelf is justified to the left next to the App Drawer button. This has pretty much been the way that Chrome OS has been since the beginning.
Chrome OS Shelf in Chrome 67
This flag in the Canary Channel shifts it all to the center
If you follow the link above to Chrome Story, they have posted a screen capture of what the new shelf centering looks like. Personally, I’m a fan but I moved from MacOS where this look was the norm.
Enabling the flag is done by typing chrome://flags/#shelf-new-ui in the browser bar and enabling it. You will have to restart your Chromebook afterwards but you’ll be good to go from that point forward.
If you have a device in the Chrome OS Canary Channel, give it a try and see what you think. It’s a small change but for those who come from Macs, this could be a little touch of nostalgia for you.
